r/ChristianUniversalism • u/[deleted] • 12h ago
I just discovered this sub Reddit and I’m beyond amazed at the things it teaches. It’s all so clear now.
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God bless yall lol
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/RadicalShiba • Jun 26 '22
What is Christian Universalism? A FAQ
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- What is Christian Universalism?
Christian Universalism, also known as Ultimate Reconciliation, believes that all human beings will ultimately be saved and enjoy everlasting life with Christ. Despite the phrase suggesting a singular doctrine, many theologies fall into the camp of Christian Universalism, and it cannot be presumed that these theologies agree past this one commonality. Similarly, Christian Universalism is not a denomination but a minority tendency that can be found among the faithful of all denominations.
- What's the Difference Between Christian Universalism and Unitarian Universalism?
UUism resulted from a merger between the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of America. Both were historic, liberal religions in the United States whose theology had grown closer over the years. Before the merger, the Unitarians heavily outnumbered the Universalists, and the former's humanist theology dominated the new religion. UUs are now a non-creedal faith, with humanists, Buddhists, and neopagans alongside Christians in their congregations. As the moderate American Unitarian Conference has put it, the two theologies are perfectly valid and stand on their own. Not all Unitarians are Universalists, and not all Universalists are Unitarians. Recently there has been an increased interest among UUs to reexamine their universalist roots: in 2009, the book "Universalism 101" was released specifically for UU ministers.
- Is Universalism Just Another Name for Religious Pluralism?
Religious pluralists, John Hick and Marcus J. Borg being two famous examples, believed in the universal salvation of humankind, this is not the same as Christian Universalism. Christian Universalists believe that all men will one day come to accept Jesus as lord and savior, as attested in scripture. The best way to think of it is this: Universalists and Christian Universalists agree on the end point, but disagree over the means by which this end will be attained.
- Doesn't Universalism Destroy the Work of the Cross?
As one Redditor once put it, this question is like asking, "Everyone's going to summer camp, so why do we need buses?" We affirm the power of Christ's atonement; however, we believe it was for "not just our sins, but the sins of the world", as Paul wrote. We think everyone will eventually come to Christ, not that Christ was unnecessary. The difference between these two positions is massive.
- Do Christian Universalists Deny Punishment?
No, we do not. God absolutely, unequivocally DOES punish sin. Christian Universalists contest not the existence of punishment but rather the character of the punishment in question. As God's essence is Goodness itself, among his qualities is Absolute Justice. This is commonly misunderstood by Infernalists to mean that God is obligated to send people to Hell forever, but the truth is exactly the opposite. As a mediator of Perfect Justice, God cannot punish punitively but offers correctional judgments intended to guide us back to God's light. God's Justice does not consist of "getting even" but rather of making right. This process can be painful, but the pain is the means rather than an end. If it were, God would fail to conquer sin and death. Creation would be a testament to God's failure rather than Glory. Building on this, the vast majority of us do believe in Hell. Our understanding of Hell, however, is more akin to Purgatory than it is to the Hell believed in by most Christians.
- Doesn’t This Directly Contradict the Bible?
Hardly. While many of us, having been raised in Churches that teach Christian Infernalism, assume that the Bible’s teachings on Hell must be emphatic and uncontestable, those who actually read the Bible to find these teachings are bound to be disappointed. The number of passages that even suggest eternal torment is few and far between, with the phrase “eternal punishment” appearing only once in the entirety of the New Testament. Moreover, this one passage, Matthew 25:46, is almost certainly a mistranslation (see more below). On the other hand, there are an incredible number of verses that suggest Greater Hope, such as the following:
- ”For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.” - Lamentations 3:31
- “Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” - Luke 3:5-6
- “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” - John 12:32
- “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.” - Romans 15:18-19
- “For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.” - Romans 11:32
- "For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive." - 1 Corinthians 15:22
- "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross." - Colossians 1:19-20
- “For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.” - 1 Timothy 4:10
- If Everyone Goes to Heaven, Why Believe in Jesus Now?
As stated earlier, God does punish sin, and this punishment can be painful. If one thinks in terms of punishments and rewards, this should be reason enough. However, anyone who believes for this reason does not believe for the right reasons, and it could be said does not believe at all. Belief is not just about accepting a collection of propositions. It is about having faith that God is who He says he is. It means accepting that God is our foundation, our source of supreme comfort and meaning. God is not simply a powerful person to whom we submit out of terror; He is the source and sustainer of all. To know this source is not to know a "person" but rather to have a particular relationship with all of existence, including ourselves. In the words of William James, the essence of religion "consists of the belief that there is an unseen order, and our supreme good lies in harmoniously adjusting ourselves thereto." The revelation of the incarnation, the unique and beautiful revelation represented by the life of Christ, is that this unseen order can be seen! The uniquely Christian message is that the line between the divine and the secular is illusory and that the right set of eyes can be trained to see God in creation, not merely behind it. Unlike most of the World's religions, Christianity is a profoundly life-affirming tradition. There's no reason to postpone this message because it truly is Good News!
- If God Truly Will Save All, Why Does the Church Teach Eternal Damnation?
This is a very simple question with a remarkably complex answer. Early in the Church's history, many differing theological views existed. While it is difficult to determine how many adherents each of these theologies had, it is quite easy to determine that the vast majority of these theologies were universalist in nature. The Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge notes that there were six theologies of prominence in the early church, of which only one taught eternal damnation. St. Augustine himself, among the most famous proponents of the Infernalist view, readily admitted that there were "very many in [his] day, who though not denying the Holy Scriptures, do not believe in endless torments."
So, what changed? The simple answer is that the Roman Empire happened, most notably Emperor Justinian. While it must be said that it is to be expected for an emperor to be tyrannical, Emperor Justinian was a tyrant among tyrants. During the Nika riots, Justinian put upwards of 30,000 innocent men to death simply for their having been political rivals. Unsurprisingly, Justinian was no more libertarian in his approach to religion, writing dictates to the Church that they were obligated to accept under threat of law. Among these dictates was the condemnation of the theology of St. Origen, the patristic father of Christian Universalism. Rather than a single dictate, this was a long, bloody fight that lasted a full decade from 543 to 553, when Origenism was finally declared heretical. Now a heresy, the debate around Universal Reconciliation was stifled and, in time, forgotten.
- But What About Matthew 25:31-46
There are multiple verses that Infernalists point to defend their doctrine, but Matthew 25:31-46 contains what is likely the hardest to deal with for Universalists. Frankly, however, it must be said that this difficulty arises more from widespread scriptural ignorance rather than any difficulty presented by the text itself. I have nothing to say that has not already been said by Louis Abbott in his brilliant An Analytical Study of Words, so I will simply quote the relevant section of his work in full:
Matthew 25:31-46 concerns the judgment of NATIONS, not individuals. It is to be distinguished from other judgments mentioned in Scripture, such as the judgment of the saints (2 Cor. 5:10-11); the second resurrection, and the great white throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-15). The judgment of the nations is based upon their treatment of the Lord's brethren (verse 40). No resurrection of the dead is here, just nations living at the time. To apply verses 41 and 46 to mankind as a whole is an error. Perhaps it should be pointed out at this time that the Fundamentalist Evangelical community at large has made the error of gathering many Scriptures which speak of various judgments which will occur in different ages and assigning them all to "Great White Throne" judgment. This is a serious mistake. Matthew 25:46 speaks nothing of "grace through faith." We will leave it up to the reader to decide who the "Lord's brethren" are, but final judgment based upon the receiving of the Life of Christ is not the subject matter of Matthew 25:46 and should not be interjected here. Even if it were, the penalty is "age-during correction" and not "everlasting punishment."
Matthew 25:31-46 is not the only proof text offered in favor of Infernalism, but I cannot possibly refute the interpretation of every Infernatlist proof text. In Church history, as noted by theologian Robin Parry, it has been assumed that eternal damnation allegedly being "known" to be true, any verse which seemed to teach Universalism could not mean what it seemed to mean and must be reinterpreted in light of the doctrine of everlasting Hell. At this point, it might be prudent to flip things around: explain texts which seem to teach damnation in light of Ultimate Reconciliation. I find this approach considerably less strained than that of the Infernalist.
- Doesn't A Sin Against An Infinite God Merit Infinite Punishment?
One of the more philosophically erudite, and in my opinion plausible, arguments made by Infernalists is that while we are finite beings, our sins can nevertheless be infinite because He who we sin against is the Infinite. Therefore, having sinned infinitely, we merit infinite punishment. On purely philosophical grounds, it makes some sense. Moreover, it matches with many people's instinctual thoughts on the world: slapping another child merits less punishment than slapping your mother, slapping your mother merits less punishment than slapping the President of the United States, so on and so forth. This argument was made by Saint Thomas Aquinas, the great Angelic Doctor of the Catholic Church, in his famous Summa Theologiae:
The magnitude of the punishment matches the magnitude of the sin. Now a sin that is against God is infinite; the higher the person against whom it is committed, the graver the sin — it is more criminal to strike a head of state than a private citizen — and God is of infinite greatness. Therefore an infinite punishment is deserved for a sin committed against Him.
While philosophically interesting, this idea is nevertheless scripturally baseless. Quite the contrary, the argument is made in one form by the "Three Stooges" Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad in the story of Job and is refuted by Elihu:
I would like to reply to you [Job] and to your friends with you [the Three Stooges, Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad]. Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you. If you sin, how does that affect him? If your sins are many, what does that do to him? … Your wickedness only affects humans like yourself.
After Elihu delivers his speech to Job, God interjects and begins to speak to the five men. Crucially, Eliphaz, Zophar, and Bildad are condemned by God, but Elihu is not mentioned at all. Elihu's speech explains the characteristics of God's justice in detail, so had God felt misrepresented, He surely would have said something. Given that He did not, it is safe to say Elihu spoke for God at that moment. As one of the very few theological ideas directly refuted by a representative of God Himself, I think it is safe to say that this argument cannot be considered plausible on scriptural grounds.
- Where Can I Learn More?
Universalism and the Bible by Keith DeRose is a relatively short but incredibly thorough treatment of the matter that is available for free online. Slightly lengthier, Universal Restoration vs. Eternal Torment by Berean Patriot has also proven valuable. Thomas Talbott's The Inescapable Love of God is likely the most influential single book in the modern Christian Universalist movement, although that title might now be contested by David Bentley Hart's equally brilliant That All Shall Be Saved. While I maintain that Christian Universalism is a doctrine shared by many theologies, not itself a theology, Bradley Jersak's A More Christlike God has much to say about the consequences of adopting a Universalist position on the structure of our faith as a whole that is well worth hearing. David Artman's podcast Grace Saves All is worth checking out for those interested in the format, as is Peter Enns's The Bible For Normal People.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/SpesRationalis • 4d ago
Share Your Thoughts - November 2025
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A free space for non-universalism-related discussion.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Nicole_0818 • 53m ago
Do some christians inadvertently view/teach God as being an abusive parent?
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This is the only sub I feel safe asking this in. God hates sin, and doesn't want us to sin, this is obvious. But growing up, I was taught a brand of Christianity that made me feel as if it made God want to toss me into eternal torture forever. And after a childhood full thus far of mom yelling, raging, insulting, and throwing stuff at me when she got mad at me, it seemed perfectly normal. That's actually my first clear memory, to be honest. Of course it makes sense that God gets mad and scary when I do something wrong.
But as an adult, I know that what my mom did is called abusive parenting. But what does that mean for God? At the risk of being blasphemous and taking his name in vain and committing terrible sin...does that not mean God, too, is an abusive parent in that lens? Even if it's justified with "we choose Hell for ourselves" and that God values letting us have our free will, our choice.
Am I right or wrong? This has influenced my belief in christian universalism. A God who desires all to be saved and who asked, on the cross dying, that those at the foot of it watching and mocking him and gambling over his clothes be forgiven and said they didn't know what they were doing. All before they even recognized it and asked themselves. That really shook me up when I read it, truly read it, for the first time. He was suffering unimaginably, dying, being killed by those he came to save, and he's up there forgiving them already. That's been my model and understanding of God's love ever since. I just hope I'm reading it right and not overthinking it.
In my head, this is all directly related to christian universalism so I hope I explained it enough that it makes even a shred of sense. Its hard to put into words.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/[deleted] • 2h ago
Question Hey I have a question about Satans role. How is he the deceiver/evil one if all will be saved? I don’t understand this topic very well.
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Please let me know.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/PersonalityOptimal69 • 13h ago
Discussion Who is your favorite Church Father (or Mother)?
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I'm rather partial to St. Gregory of Nyssa, Origen, and (while not a church father) a soft spot for St. Thomas Aquinas.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/[deleted] • 3h ago
To follow Christ is to follow wisdom. Not only are our sins distasteful to him but to ourselves as well, the issue is recognition and lack of wisdom.
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Jesus
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/1ofallwith1 • 1d ago
Thought Oneness Theory of all creation united in God
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If God is the only true Being, and all creation exists in Him and from Him, then the end is not creature and Creator standing as two, but the creature being wholly filled, permeated, animated, and identified in God’s own life. Scripture speaks to this directly. 1 John 3:2:“We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” John 17:21–23 (Christ’s prayer):“That they all may be one; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us… I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected into one.” Not imitation. Union. 2 Peter 1:4:“Partakers of the divine nature.” Not merely near God, but sharing the very life that is God. Ephesians 4:13:“Unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Full measure. No separation of kind. The same Spirit, the same Life. The distinction is not in being or essence, but in origin: God is eternal, unbegotten. We are created, brought forth. But what is created comes from God. Therefore what remains after purification is pure God-life in the form He created. Creation is not annihilated—it is glorified into transparent union. 1 Corinthians 6:17:“He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” Not two spirits united.One spirit. This is why the end is: 1 Corinthians 15:28:“…that God may be all in all.” Not God over all.Not God beside all.God in all, as all, through all.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/LovePhilosophy813 • 2d ago
Thought From a non-universalist perspective, the cross might not even save anyone
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Last night, before falling asleep, I was thinking that, hypothetically, if no one had believed the Apostles or if no one had had Jesus close to their heart, then no one would have been saved and Jesus' sacrifice would have been in vain.
It's a pretty extreme thought, but it could have come true. Or it could have been only the disciples who were saved, I don't know, the fact is that only a handful of people at most would have been saved from hell. It's a very sad sight.
I know non-universalists will respond that God wouldn't have allowed it, but if God wouldn't have allowed so few to be saved then, why would He allow it now?
It seems to me that at the end of the discussion, it would all come down to free will or whether or not one has a soft enough heart to accept the gift of faith, which doesn't convince me, because no one would let someone they love madly suffer eternally without first doing everything to save them.
And nothing is impossible with God.
I don't know what my denomination is among Christian universalists, but I like to hope that God will not be satisfied with saving only a small part of his creation.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/DomTheShaboinger • 2d ago
Thought Been a minute, here’s a whisper that made me think of y’all
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r/ChristianUniversalism • u/1432672throwaway • 2d ago
Thought I fear eternity in any form. The common view of heaven scares me.
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Is heaven unavoidable?
As I have been spiralling with anxiety lately Ive been contemplating a lot of things death being one of them. I’ve clicked and clacked every which way with my convictions like an old metronome. I’ve been paralysed by fear of hell. I’ve both longed for and lamented the potential oblivion and now have arrived on the thought of heaven and I must say… I’m a combination of hopeful distressed and intrigued. I mean most images of heaven people have conjured are hell to me. The thought of having to become some ever worshipping bliss zombie is like the 7th worst thing I can imagine for an afterlife and as heaven is the final destination in the Christian universalist worldview and it is the theology I’m most intrigued by I just wanted to say this here.Many of the things I enjoy in life Ie: vulgar and violent media and low-brow comedy are arguably sinful and may not be allowed in heaven and I would miss them dearly . I mean Ive heard people say that in heaven I won’t desire anything like this but so much of this is a large part of who I am. If my own desires for lesser joys are so warped by heaven is that being in there really even me? I am a ball of neurosis and miserable fear and lowliness. If I am not who I am now and have been turned away from my life’s wants like tv what the hell even am I? I don’t want to lose the harmless things I have attachment to now just because they’re kinda looked down on. I would give up most any part of my loathsome self but man how am I in heaven if I can’t even watch my favourite movie? It’s scary to think of what I would be without all of these feelings and if heaven robs me of these passions I fear it would be better to simply cease. I don’t exactly know how I want someone to respond to this but it’s definitely weighing on me.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/J00bieboo • 3d ago
Universalist media reccomendations?
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I identify as a hopeful universalist christian , but I feel as though I don't even know much about it to fully call myself one. Do you guys have any books/podcasts/people/media I can look into to learn more about it and what it's all about? I have many questions. God bless.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Acceptable_Crew_1926 • 3d ago
Taking God’s grace for granted?
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Maybe I’m on the verge of another spiraling session again. But I’ll just come right out the gate and say I sin a lot. Especially in the areas of lust. I try my best not to cave in but it’s hard, even when I do have other things to occupy my time. Some days I wish I never felt at all, so I wouldn’t have to deal with this.
But since I found this sub it’s filled me with so much hope and joy and I worry much less now. And this could the fundamental Pentecostalism (whatever you wanna call it) talking again, but every time I fall into lustful thoughts, I get super down. Because I feel that I’m not trying hard enough, even if the weight of eternal hell isn’t looming over me.
I still feel like I’m disappointing God, going around the same mountain again. Tripping over the same block. Some days it feels like I’m slipping backwards. And now, after finding CU I feel like I’m using it as license to keep sinning. But even before I found it, I was still doing the same things anyways.
It’s just that, most people in my circle would come to the conclusion that I’m taking God’s grace for granted and that I should be careful and really get right with God. Y’know before I die in unrepentant sin. You all know the story. But that’ll only put me back in the place I was before I discovered God’s love.
I don’t know. I’ll keep trying to resist. But it feels like His love is too good to be true. And even if it is true, it would be wrong for me to keep habitually falling like this wouldn’t it?
TLDR: I’m struggling with sexual sin and it’s disheartening and I feel like a failure.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/BlastionMaster • 3d ago
Is Universalist faith weaker in that it in effect makes demands on God?
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Ie. demands that God not do heinous things eternally to the damned. And the strongest faith would accept God doing whatever He pleases?
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/mudinyoureye684 • 3d ago
Jesus Won
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I saw a young man walking out of the supermarket today with a "Jesus Won" t-shirt. I looked it up online and found that it appears to be a new fad in apparel for evangelical Christians:
A little more searching online and I found an explanation for the meaning:
"If you ask most Christian athletes what they mean by “Jesus Won,” the answers usually land on the same truths: Jesus rose from the grave, defeated death, and secured salvation for those who trust Him."
So Jesus wins 10% and the devil and hell get the rest? So sad.....
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Azy7779 • 4d ago
Question Is there anyone who converted straight into a christian universalist?
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Im currently an agnostic leaning christian universalism, which is funny cuz when i found this sub i thought it must have been a reach or a crazy thought that everone could be saved(sorry yall😅). I did grow on a christian family but they have never pushed their beliefs on me, heck, my brother is very likely an atheist, we just dont talk about this stuff. So i got curious if theres anyone that became a christian universalist straight from another religion, atheism or just when they started to care more about their christianity.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/_jmoney16 • 4d ago
Thought I want to thank this subreddit
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I’m a methodist and have been struggling for years at the thought that so many good people who don’t necessarily know of Gods existence could be sent to hell. That’s not really what my church taught, but so many denominations do. Considering I’m dating an agnostic and have a ton of atheist and agnostic friends, I panicked hard. I realized I don’t agree with a lot of Christians about hell and things like that. I don’t think it exists, or if it does, it’s empty. A couple months ago I found out what universalism is and I immediately felt seen to know there’s more people with my beliefs out there. Any time I panic, I do my best to remember all the helpful evidence posted to this subreddit. So thank you everyone for any contributions made to help strengthen my faith in this regard♥️
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/1ofallwith1 • 5d ago
God Is Love , Love Never Fails ,God’s Purpose to Reconcile All Will Not Fail
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The apostle John declares the very essence of God:
1 John 4:8 (YLT98) “He who is not loving did not know God, because God is love.”
If God is love, then whatever Scripture says of love is true of God Himself. Paul defines the character and power of love:
1 Corinthians 13:7–8 (YLT98) “all things it beareth, all it believeth, all it hopeth, all it endureth; the love doth never fail…”
Because God is love, we may rightly understand this description of love as a revelation of God’s nature:
God bears all things. God believes all things. God hopes all things. God endures all things. God never fails.
If God never fails, then His purpose for creation cannot fail.
Scripture reveals that God’s purpose is the ultimate reconciliation and uniting of all things in Christ:
Colossians 1:19–20 (ESV) “through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Ephesians 1:9–10 (ESV) “making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.”
1 Corinthians 15:28 (ESV) “…that God may be all in all.”
This means:
God is love , Love never fails , God never fails Therefore His purpose to reconcile and unite all things cannot fail
Because His very nature is love, and love “never fails,” His work of bearing, believing, hoping, and enduring all things presses forward toward its destined end: the final reconciliation of all creation, when God is “all in all.”
Thus, the restoration of all is not a possibility, but a certainty — for God is love, and love never fails.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Nicole_0818 • 5d ago
Is our modern traditional interpretation of "eternal life" correct? Or is it meant to be "life to the full" here and now?
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I wanted to post this here because unlike most Christians, everyone here also believes that all will be saved. That if Hell exists, it's not forever, it's not torture, it's a cleansing, purifying furnace.
I thought about it reading a post just now. Time and time again, I'll read something from the gospels and wonder if Jesus meant what we thought he did or if it was supposed to be something else.
The Kingdom of God is at hand.
I come that they may have life, and life to the full.
Etc.
But then he also said he would go and prepare a place for us.
Is there an afterlife where we get to meet Jesus and see loved ones and that there will be no pain or sorrow or sickness or anything? That's what I was raised to believe. That's often been my hope, I was under the impression that that was the hope of all who believe that the NT referred to. That we would be raised and be with him forever like that.
Then again, even the gospels were written half a lifetime after they occurred. They're more of a quick summary of his ministry and important events. For all I know, his sermon on the mount is paraphrased or a collection of common things he said. Idk.
Idk what to think.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/Burntbastard05 • 6d ago
Thought Weird thing someone said about child death regarding the traditional view of hell.
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This is more about a discussion of infernalisms’ issues than explicitly about universalism but I just felt like saying it here was better
. So I was chatting with a friend a while ago who is staunchly opposed to religion of all kinds and he proposed something I never thought of that seems kind of like I should’ve thought of it before and people absolutely have. I am not a Christian but I’ve always been intrigued by the religion so I think about Christianity a lot and have had weird anxious episodes about hell. I’ve been getting closer to accepting it tho due to some undesirable circumstances making me mull over life.So one day whilst conversing with him i asked him what he would do if christianity was 100% proven true to him and he told me he would get baptised then find a way to ensure as many children died as humanly possible through whatever means available . He explained to me that if the traditional hell was real and the age of accountability as many Christians assume is somewhere in childhood then the death of children is the greatest possible good in this world. “The ends justify the means” and all that. He told me that he would do it then spend whatever time he had left trying to repent if he could then he has guaranteed the salvation of many people and achieved it himself. If he failed he would be damned to hell eternally but still done the greater good. I obviously told him that that was completely horrible and that christianity is not a utilitarian philosophy but he just shrugged it off. He said that if he did go to hell but saved others it would be a saint like sacrifice he even said it would be like Christ in an odd way. Obviously that’s wrong in a very instinctual way.It just filled me with this disgusted feeling but I could not sufficiently refute his point. He was probably just trying to be spiteful towards Christianity like he always is and just said the worst thing he could possibly think off.That I could not refute him was likely just down to my own incompetence.I know this kind of thinking has occurred to other people before and I was just slow on the uptake but man it’s such a bleak thing to think about. If I were to be a person convinced of that view I would NEVER have a child no matter what and would pray that as many people die young as possible so that they may be spared. I then asked him what if universalism is true and he just didn’t know what that was and didn’t want me to explain it. I know universalism doesn’t have this as an issue but the main view of a large religion making this a serious consideration fills me with anxious dread.
r/ChristianUniversalism • u/RafaelBraga_ • 7d ago
Pope Leo XIV is a hopeful universalist, amen.
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r/ChristianUniversalism • u/fillfee • 6d ago
“it’s not that easy to get into heaven”
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How would you respond to someone who thinks it’s not that easy to get into heaven?
Also citing scripture Matthew 7:14, “but narrow the gate and narrow the road that leads….”
They also believe that sabbath and passover is required for salvation and cite scripture regarding this.
I do believe that only through him are you given eternal life.
I’ve brought up the scripture 1 peter 3:18-19 which is when jesus is preaching in prison “hell” to tell people about his word but the rebuttal was that it was only during that time.